Project Motherhood: Flaky, Petunia and Giggles
by Gamer95
Summary: The Happy Tree Curse has been lifted...at the cost of many lives. The few, now human survivors, must now make their way in the world. And when each of them meets an abused little boy, it becomes that much easier for them to move on...
1. Chapter 1

Long ago, there was a powerful witch, with a sadistic lust for pain and bloodshed. She was the most powerful witch known at the time, and she had spend many years perfecting a spell that would bring about the horrific violence she desired to see... Her target was a small town. The people living there were happy and carefree. However, that all changed when the witch arrived. Putting her spell to use, the people of the town underwent a horrible change. Cursed to transform into cutesy woodland creatures, unable to remember their past lives, and worst of all...cursed to suffer an eternal loop of horrific, excruciating death and injury. The creatures of Happy Tree Town would live their lives dying in elaborate, horrible, agonizing manners, only to be brought back the very next day as if it never even happened. The witch eventually passed away, laughing at her victims' suffering until her final breath. But her passing did not break the curse... It carried on for many years, and the society of the Happy Tree Friends advanced, causing the deaths to become even more elaborate and disturbing in nature. They could not leave their village. All instances of them leaving was simply an expansion, created by the curse in order to keep them under its spell.

However, one day, one of the most powerful wizards known had noticed what was going on, and he was not at all pleased by what he had seen. Such a spell needed to be destroyed and outlawed straightaway! And so, he took some of his most powerful followers, and with their combined magic, the spell was finally broken.

However, there was a cost... They had cast the spell when the majority of the inhabitants of the city had been killed. This meant they would never again be revived, their bodies forever stuck in their horrific mangled states. The only survivors on the outside were two identical twins with green hair, one of which wore a fedora on top of his head. They had been in the midst of a heist, and upon noticing the drastic change to their appearances, had stopped the car and begun to freak out to each other over how different they were.

And they were not the only survivors...

Flaky's POV

What is happening?! What in the world is happening right now?!

I've been scared before...I've been scared of all sorts of things, from giant monsters to harmless little birds, but I don't remember EVER being this scared before in my life...

My body...My body is different...I've changed! M-My fur is gone...I'm all...smooth...And my quills are gone too! All that's left of them is this long red strand of hair that's running down my back, right down to my butt. Oh...Um...I still have my dandruff flakes...I guess that's just never going away...

And I'm wearing clothes...I don't normally wear clothes. I mean, I'll dress up for the winter, and I wore a t-shirt once when I went surfing, which I never did again by the way, but...I didn't see the point...

Still, I guess I'm thankful they're there...For some reason, the thought of being naked in this new body makes me want to die. And not come back...

Okay...Um...I'm wearing this really baggy red sweater. It's a little big, but...it's really soft and comfy...Like a security blanket I can wear anywhere I want...It makes me feel safer just having it on... Okay, um...What else have we got here...?

Okay, um...I'm wearing a red skirt...It's...kinda short, though...It makes me...pretty nervous, in all honesty...I wish it was a bit below my thighs... Let me just take a look...Oh...Okay, good...There's shorts underneath the skirt... Black shorts, a bit form fitting, but nothing too embarrassing... Yeah, I'll keep the skirt too...

Hmm...Ooh, okay, so some kind of really long red socks that end just below my thighs...They're also comfy...My clothes are really comfy...I never noticed how comfy clothes could be until I didn't have fur anymore...

And my hands... T-they're different. They're not small, fluffy and soft anymore... They're slim and furless, and I had consistent thumbs! I...I had human hands again...

I gasped and felt my face and felt it had slimmed as well feeling only warm skin. "W-what?" I don't understand...

"H-How...? Why...?" I stuttered, hugging myself. I had been a porcupine for the longest time...I thought me being human was all a dream...That's it! This isn't real! I'm just dreaming! Okay, I'll just pinch myself here...

Ow. Ow. Ow. OW! It's not working, I'm still a human! It's real!

This is freaking me out...Is everything I know a lie...? What will my friends have to say...?

I need to go outside. I need answers. Hurriedly, I throw open the door. Oh...Oh no, they're dead again... And...Wait, they're all human too?

Okay, one of them has yellow hair, must be Cuddles... And there's Flippy, I recognize his uniform...Poor Flippy, I wish he didn't have to suffer that split personality... And I can recognize Nutty, and Lammy, and Pop, and...

Oh...Cub...Poor little Cub...It just breaks my heart when he dies...He's just a baby...

I continue to look around and see everyone on the ground dead, blood pooling on the ground around them, each one of them making me feel ill.

I took a few steps through my village looking for any answers to what happened. However I paused when I started to hear voices ahead of me. I froze on fear. Was I next? Was I the next one to die today? I never liked being killed.

I heard footsteps aproching me and I took a few steps back and promptly tripped and fell on my now much softer butt. It still hurt though!

Wait, I recognize some of those voiced...Lifty and Shifty survived, from the looks of it...Wait, do they still have their tails...? Wow...I guess we're not fully human...

There's an old man, and some other people too. A woman...She looks strict, I better mind my manners. That man looks like he could use some shampoo...Then again, I guess I'm not one to talk...One of them has a fake eye, and...Wow, that man is big...Ooh, I hope he's friendly...

The old man is smiling at me. "Hello, my dear." He says warmly. Okay...Seems friendly, that's good. "Will you please come with us?"

"The geezer here's not gonna tell us a thing until he gets everyone who's still alive." Shifty said, rolling his eyes. "So c'mon, we haven't got all day!"

Good lord they're so mean...

"Um...Okay..." I think I'm just gonna nod my head and go along with them...

Giggles' POV

Oh. My. GOSH. This is like, totally weird... It's not even a dream, what is HAPPENING right now?! I'm like a totally different species all of a sudden!

I can't stop staring at myself in the mirror! I look totally different, but it's like...I've seen this before! I dunno what it is, but I feel like I remember this body!

Ooh, but I have some cute clothes at least! I have a nice pink blouse, and I have this short pink skirt...And I have my bow! Good! I love this bow...Okay, so I have short pink hair...And I have blue eyes...And wow, is my chest supposed to be this big? What are those weird lumps? They feel weird. ...I'm not complaining, though. I like 'em!

Still...This is totally weird! Wait, is this just some kind of setup for another nasty death? Ugh... Geez...This place never stops finding weird ways to kill us...What's Cuddles gonna say? Well, at least I still have my bow. This bow's my favourite.

Oh, there's a knock at my door. Must be Cuddles. We had a date planned today. Can't wait to see what he's got for me!

Humming, I open the door. ...Wow, I do NOT remember these people at ALL. I mean, the two guys with the robber masks are probably Shifty and Lifty, and the girl with the red hair is totally Flaky, but I don't remember any of these other people!

"Um...So are you like, new here?" Okay, a bit awkward, but really, what am I supposed to say, exactly? Now that I look behind them, I can see that most of the people in town are dead, including Cuddles. ...Well shoot. There goes our date...

Petunia's POV

How did it take me so long to notice this...? I knew my OCD was bad and all, but I didn't think it was so bad that I'd be too focused on cleaning my bathtub to notice that I was...human again... I thought that was all a dream... What does my human form even look like? I know what my hands look like, but...

Oh, that's right, the mirror, let me just-

AGH! There's a stain! There's a huge disgusting stain on my mirror, make it go away, I want it gone!

Okay...Keep it together, Petunia...Just grab the cleaning supplies, nice and easy...A quick spray...Wipe it down...Ah...Much better.

Now...What do we have here? All right, so I don't have fur anymore, obviously, but I do have hair. It's dark blue with a few light streaks, and it goes down to my back. I'm okay with this. Fur was hard to maintain, so this is a good change. My eyes are also a nice shade of blue.

And I like this outfit, too. It's pretty classy. I still have my flower in my hair. Hmm...In this body, it might look better if I move it just over my ear...Yeah...I like it!

And my air freshener is still there. Very nice.

As for my new clothes? Well, I have this very nice dress shirt. It's dark blue, but it has this light blue streak running down the middle. And the skirt I'm wearing, while short, certainly looks nice, with it's sky blue colour. ...Wow, my legs are long...I didn't know anyone's legs could be this long...It's kind of strange, since my legs used to be so...stubby.

And these high heels look amazing! They're purple, and they glitter, and they fit nicely, and I love it!

...Wait just a second here, is that my skunk tail? Did I have that when I was a human? Do humans have tails? This doesn't seem right... Let me give it a feel...Yeah, it's still there, soft and fluffy as ever...

Odd. Very odd. Still not all bad though. I gazed at my form for a few more moments and then a thought came to me. Were the others like this?

Deciding to see for myself I picked up my emergency bag of cleaning supplies and left my home. It was quite...very quiet as I walked down the road into the village.

Jul 3Where is everybod-Oh they're dead. I guess I should have known... But hey, they ARE human, so that's good, right?

"PETUNIAAAAAAAA!" And now I think I'm next, because I can feel the air being squeezed out of my body.

"Heheh...Nice to see you too, Giggles." I hug my best friend. "And I have to say, you look good in this new body!" Giggles lived up to her namesake.

"I know, right? Aren't I a total knockout?"

"All right, ladies, no time for your little tea party! We need answers, pronto!" Oh...Good. Lifty and Shifty are here. My two favourite people. Hooray. Whoo-hoo... Oh, they have their tails too.

"Um...Th-That's everybody..." Flaky's also here. "Everyone else is dead..."

I just noticed that they're hanging out with some people I've never seen before in my life.

They all were dressed in robes that reached down to their feet. Heck one of them even had a witches hat on her head. The one in the center who I assume was the leader of this little steps up.

"Good evening. My name is Albus Dumbledore. How are you my dear?" He asked in a grandfatherly tone.

I feel...safe around this man. I don't know, something about him makes me feel at ease. "Um...Very nice to meet you, Mr. Dumbledore, sir. My name is Petunia." I shake his hand, trying to be polite.

"Oh joy. The one normal name in this place, and it has to be the same as Lily's rotten sister." A man with black hair comments. Dark, long hair. Dark...GREASY...long hair...

Okay, keep it together...Don't freak out...Just ignore it...

...

I HAVE TO WASH THAT HAIR!

I don't care how heavily I'm breathing, I need the shampoo! Where is it?! Where?! ...AHA! There it is! Okay, you greasy haired man, prepare for the washing of a lifetime!

I don't know what's happening. The man looks annoyed for a minute, I guess, and I think he's yelling now, but I don't care, because this hair needs to be cleansed!

Flaky's POV

Okay...Petunia can be really scary sometimes... I'm pretty sure the only reason she never tried this on me is because I always had my quills that would keep impaling her every time she tried...

Wait, I don't have quills anymore...

...Oh no...

Everyone else is laughing, though, so I guess it's just me being a worrywart again...

Giggles POV

Oh my god that is so funny! That sleazy looking man has just met the power of my best friend on a cleaning binge!

I did feel kind of bad but I still found it hysteracal! His hair looked cleaner I will say. Although he looked like he wanted to murder Petunia with that glare of his.

Petunia's looking more relaxed, at least. She seriously needs to see someone about that problem of hers, it's starting to get me worried.

"HA! How's THAT feel, ya slimy old asshat?!" Wow, how very ironic for Shifty to be saying that to...well, anyone, really...

"Be quiet or I will tear that tail off and shove it down your bloody throat." The man called Snape replies, causing me to giggle.

"Oh, do be reasonable, Severus. You were long overdue for a shower anyway." Minerva too? Oh this just keeps getting better!

"If ye hadn't done it, someone woulda." Hagrid says to Petunia. ...Uh oh, she's looking at his beard with THAT look...Hurry, Dumbledore, distract her! Hagrid's too nice to suffer Petunia's cleanly wrath!

Luckly the man did. He cleared his throat, getting her crazy eyes away from the nice giant. "While that was amusing. I would suggest you control yourself a tiny bit my dear. Most people do not enjoy being forced to do something." He said with a grandfatherly tone.

Petunia is frowning and blushing now, and it's actually kinda cute. Petunia coughed and tried to look abashed to my enjoyment.

"Sorry. I...have a problem." She muttered softly.

"Boy, I'll say." Lifty, just shut up. No one asked you what you think.

"Look, old man, you gonna tell us what's happening here or what?!" Come on, Shifty, do you know what polite even means?!

"Yes...I believe this is everybody...Now...As you all know, you were all animals until today..."

"Um...Yeah, we got that much..." What else can I really say to that?

"The reasoning behind this is very simple. Many years ago, when you were all still human...Well, you were cursed."

...What.

Flaky's POV

C-C-Cursed...? Oh, I knew it all along! I mean...of course I did, everybody knew it, but...But it's still not a fun thing to be told! "Oooh...Um...So...We're...NOT cursed anymore?"

"Tell us more, if you don't mind?" Petunia asked politely.

"The curse was a very complex one, one that no doubt took many years of practice to make possible...It turned you all into creatures, and it forced you to suffer the pain of death on many different occasions."

You have no idea how meaningful the word 'pain' was in that sentence, Mr. Dumbledore Sir...

"It was with great struggle that I was finally able to break the curse...But even then, I was not able to break it entirely, as you can see with three of you still possessing the features of your animal counterparts..."

Petunia looked at her tail, and Lifty and Shifty grinned. "Eh, the raccoon tails fit us like a glove." It...really does, I won't lie there...

"Wait a minute..." Oh dear, now everyone's attention is on me...Stay calm and speak clearly... "I-If this curse is broken...What about...What about everyone who died today...?"

...Everyone's quiet now...That's not good...Giggles and Petunia don't know what's going on...Lifty and Shifty look guilty and scared, I guess they must have caused all these deaths today, I mean how else would Splendid have died from Kryptonut? And...Oh...I don't like that look on Dumbledore's face...

"...I'm so sorry...I tried to break the curse sooner...But it was such a powerful curse...I'm afraid that, by breaking it while your friends were dead..." He stopped talking...He's not saying anything...He looks too choked up to speak.

"...Your friends will not be returning to life." Snape's the one talking.

...Oh God...Oh my God, no... This...This is all wrong...This CAN'T be happening... What about Flippy?! He was my best friend, he was like a father to me when he wasn't flipped out! And...And...Sweet little Cub...He's...

Petunia POV

No...this is not possible. This is horrible. This is horrifying! They were all gone. Forever. No revival, no maybe the next day will be better...they were all gone.

I look at Lifty and Shifty...They look guilty...Were they responsible for the carnage?! Damn them! Them and their obsession with stealing!

I wanted to hurt them for what they had done but I knew deep down that they were not entirely at fault. Who would know that this would happen? Hell, I forgot long ago about there being a witch and curse.

Still...They caused this whole thing... They killed all of our friends...I can tell they feel guilty just by looking at their faces... I know it's wrong, but...I can't help but feel some form of satisfaction from that...

Handy...I'm so sorry we never got around to having another date... ...I don't want anyone to see me cry...I just need to keep it together until I'm alone...

Giggles' POV

No no no no no no no no no... This isn't real! This is all some kind of sick joke! Everyone's fine, right? They're all gonna be back tomorrow, good as new!

...This is supposed to be the part where Dumbledore smiles and says "Gotcha!" And then he tells us when they come back, this curse is over, and we're all free and then we all go out for pizza.

...Still waiting...

...No...He's...He can't be...He's telling the truth...

But...Then that means that...

C-Cuddles...M-My Cuddles is...

No no no no no no... I'm pretty sure I'm crying at this point...But I don't know for sure, I'm too busy thinking...It's not fair...It's not fair, it's not fair it's not fair! Why did my boyfriend die while I survived?! WHY?! Is this some kind of sick joke the universe is playing on me?!

I can feel some hands on my back...I think it's Petunia and Flaky, because I can hear their voices...But I don't know what they're saying, I don't CARE what they're saying, nothing they say's gonna make this okay...

Wait a minute...I know who's responsible for this...Lifty and Shifty...THEY killed everyone doing one of their stupid heists! Those BASTARDS! I'm looking at them now...I'm not crying anymore, that's for sure...

"...You..." I don't know what else to say to them. I'm too furious for words...

They flinch at my tone and I felt some sick satisfaction. They better be scared. They better know that I had no issue ending them where they stand. Yet I felt Flaky and Petunias grip on my arms tighten, stopping me.

The old man only stares at us, all sad... "I'm sorry for your loss." He says, like that makes it any better. The gentle giant had a few tears in his eyes at us, the woman's head was bowed respectfully, and the man Petunia had washed had a scowl on his face still.

"Then put us back." I whispered.

"I'm afraid I cannot...What's done has been done. If I were to put you back, your friends would remain dead...The only thing it would accomplish is that you five would be the only ones dying..."

"NO! That CAN'T be right, you hear me?! It can't, it can't, it can't! I WON'T believe it! Put us back and bring back my Cuddles! I WANT CUDDLES BACK-"

"GIGGLES!"

...When Flaky yells, that's instantly a sign that I should probably be quiet.

Flaky pants heavily. "Just stop...Please..."

My two best friends are looking at me. They look so sad...They're suffering from this too...And they're not going nuts over it like I am...

...I hate the fact that I suck at controlling my emotions...And look at that, I'm crying again...

Petunia's POV

It's...no surprise that Giggles took the news worse than the rest of us...She had the most friends in the town...She was the most popular, so losing so many people...that would most certainly break her...

Lifty and Shifty look downright haunted. "...I...I..." Shifty was struggling to speak.

"...I know this doesn't mean much, but for what it's worth...We're sorry..." Lifty spoke softly. "We didn't think...y'know...it'd end up being permanent..."

"Death is not a joking matter" The slimy man said now standing up with a scowl on his face. "It's a part of life, yes. But we all will die one day. Think of it as them being free in their own way. They are not gone unless you forget about them" he spoke surprising me and his little group as well.

He stared right at Giggles with a hard glare. "You all should have been dead a long time ago, yet here you stand. Make this life count. For this is your last." His eyes bore into us making me flinch slightly at him.

"Severus is correct." Albus says, nodding his head and making me feel at ease immediately. "Your pain and suffering is at last over, and you are free to live your lives in peace and comfort. You will die one day...But only when your time has truly come. And your death will certainly be far less horrible than anything that may have happened to you in this world..."

Whenever this man speaks...I instantly feel better about things. Yes...This is a chance to really live my life...And I'll use it to the fullest. I can tell Giggles and Flaky feel the same way.

It's time for a fresh start.

Many months later...

Flaky's POV

It's been almost a year...Almost a year since it happened... Petunia runs both a diner and a flower shop, and Giggles works for her as a waitress at the diner. I work at the flower shop, but...I'm secluded in the back, tending to plants, left alone with my thoughts...

As for Lifty and Shifty? They're not around a lot...They figured out they can't really be professional thieves anymore, so they just sort of...explore and find stuff that might be valuable... They really knew how to put those weird gold coins Dumbledore gave us to use, they were practically rich and could afford all kinds of trips...Always bringing back something of value to get even more money... I guess their greed just doesn't go away with a new body...

Dumbledore also took the liberty of giving Petunia's air freshener necklace a little charm, to hide her skunk tail from view of the public.

But even though all the horror and pain is over and we're free from our suffering and misery...I can't stop thinking about it...The nightmares are always haunting me...They won't go away...I still experience the deaths...The horrible, excruciating pain, the sheer ease it happens to me and my friends...

For the longest time, I was still a nervous wreck. One time I cut myself on a thorn bush and I had a nervous breakdown because I thought I would bleed to death.

It took a long time to realize that we were much sturdier now then we were then. Maybe the curse affected us more then I would like to think. I was still terrified of most things that could kill me.

We all were, but we each handled it differently. Petunia tried to stay busy. She kept her cleaning tendencies but was getting some help over it, and other issues she had. Giggles was just trying to ignore it to the best of her ability. She also had a little stint where she was dating a whole bunch of guys. I guess she's trying to fill in the void Cuddles left...But none of her relationships ever lasted too long.

And me? Well...I just liked to be alone I guess.

We've managed to get nice little houses...Okay, so Petunia and Giggles got big houses...I didn't use a lot of my money on a house. I'm most comfortable in a small home anyway...

I try not to go outside too often, because I don't wanna die...It's stupid, I know...But I can't stop worrying about it.

But I don't really have much of a choice at the moment. I need to go grocery shopping... Oh boy...I guess it's time to go out again...

It's cold out...Winter is here, and the first snowfall of the season is coming down. No snow on the ground yet, but soon... I don't really need to dress up too much. My sweater and leggings do a fine job of keeping me warm. My thighs get a bit cold, mainly when I fall in the snow, but I can ignore that.

I'm gonna try a new way of getting to the grocery store today. Giggles told me it was shorter to walk there...

It really is a cold day out...Maybe I should have put on a scarf...But then, I feel myself getting less cold as I walk, so at least that's good...

Wait, what was that?

I heard something...It's coming from that alleyway...It sounds like...Crying...?

No...No, it's a trap. It's probably some thugs trying to lure me in...Oh, I know guys look at me like I'm some kind of tasty meat...It's so embarrassing, it makes me wanna die when they ogle me like that...

Don't fall for it, don't fall for it...

There was a whimper... ...I know I'm gonna regret this...

I just need to take a deep breath...And go in to sneak a quick peek. If it's something bad, I'll get right out.

Okay...I'm gonna stay behind this corner and take a look...

Oh...

Oh my goodness...

It's...It's a little boy...He's so tiny...He's not dressed...He's wearing nothing but a big baggy t-shirt for goodness sake! He's FREEZING! And...is he...bleeding...? And he's crying... Where are his parents?! Wait...He's saying something...

"S-Someone...Please...Help..."

...It's just a metaphor when someone says their heart is breaking, right? Because I swear I just heard a shattering sound inside me, and my chest feels like my heart's shattered pieces are jabbing into it from the inside. ...I'm not gonna die from a broken heart, am I?!

I slowly approach him seeing the poor little thing trembling. I didn't know what came over me, but when I looked at him I saw the others that were gone.

I didn't want to see anyone else die! I rushed to him and removed my sweater, leaving me in the t-shirt I wore underneath. Ignoring the chill of the day, I wrapped it around the child, making him flinch at my touch.

He looked up at me and I gasped in surprise at his bright emrald green eyes are shining at me with curiosity, and fear. Yet he looked absolutely adorable.

He's just staring at me now... "Oh, you poor thing..." I'm holding him closer to my chest. He needs to be warm... "You shouldn't be out here all alone..."

The groceries can wait... I'll ask Petunia or Giggles for a ride to the store later. Right now, I need to get home and call for my healer.

Dumbledore gave us the contact for a good healer, which is good, because I absolutely HATE hospitals...

"M-Mama...?"

I felt my heart warm at that and I smile softly down at him as I rush to my home. "E-excuse me?" I asked with a blush.

I saw his face heat up and he looks away adorably. "A-are you my Mama?" He asked softly to me, innocently, truly not knowing who his mother was.

I felt my heart hurt at that and I pulled him closer to me. "Oh sweetie. I'm sorry. I'm not your mommy." I said softly and instantly regretted saying that when I saw his saddened look.

"Oh...I'm sorry...I just thought you were 'cause she had pretty red hair like yours..."

Awww...He thinks my dirty, dandruff filled hair is pretty...So cute...

"Sorry, sweetie...I wish I could say yes... But...Why were you out there all by yourself...?"

"My...My uncle hates me and wants me dead..."

I gasp in shock at that and I pull him closer to my chest feeling him nuzzle into me. "Why does he hate you?" I asked softly getting closer to my little home.

The little boy whimpered in my chest and I just felt like holding him close. The poor baby. "Shh, it's okay. You'll be okay soon." I whispered in his ear.

I rushed inside grabbing a few blankets and a bowl of hot water and walked into my living room gently running it over his face to clean it and warm him up.

He's slowly starting to look warmer...The colour's coming back to his skin. He's looking relaxed...That's good. That's very good...

I already contacted my healer. I can get into contact with her with a simple push of a button. It's good for me because I feel safe, but I probably drove her nuts when I kept calling her over stuff like stubbing my toe and cutting myself...

Either way, she should be here in a few minutes... I've finished warming him up, so now I can hold him some more.

He's so cuddly and small. I smile softly down at him gently rocking him in my arms. I don't want to let him go. I just want to hug him.

The little boy looks up at me with those big green eyes and I feel my lips curl into a small grin at him wanting to kiss him on the forehead.

"W-why are you helping me?" He had asked me softly.

I don't really know how to respond at first, because really, that should be clear. But then again, he told me his uncle hates him...His family life must be so hard...

"Well...Because I just can't leave you there to suffer." Is what I finally settle on telling him. "You're young and vulnerable, and you need to be protected..."

The more I look at this little boy, the more he reminds me of Cub...Except he's really not like Cub was at all...Sure, he's just as cuddly, but Cub was a happy baby, and this little boy...He was sad, scared and confused...

It's then I notice he has a small plush toy, and I have to do a double take. It's... a red porcupine...With a heart shaped nose...It looks just like my original form...

He is holding onto it with such force, like it would disappear if he let it go. That thought alone made me sad. The poor thing was so scared of losing a toy.

"Who's your little friend?" I ask him softly still cradling him in my arms.

He looked old down at the plush toy his eyes growing warm and tender. "H-her name is Spiky...cuz she's spiky..." he explained innocently.

Spiky?" I ask with a raised eyebrow some amusement entering my voice now. The little boy nodded with a small adorable grin. "How do you know Spiky is a girl?" I asked him.

He just shrugs his shoulders and looks down. "I dunno...I just feel like she's a girl..." He admits.

Now if only everyone else would 'feel' like I was a girl back when I was a porcupine...Every. Single. ONE of them thought I was a boy until I signed up for girl's volleyball. That didn't last terribly long, though, because we all died on our first game and I didn't wanna do it anymore after that...

But that's not important right now. I pat the boy's head. Wow, his hair's almost as messy as mine... "Well I'm sure Spiky REALLY appreciates you getting her gender right." I know I would...

And then there's a knock on the door. It must be my healer! I open it up...

Oh yeah, I completely forgot I invited Giggles and Petunia over...

"Hello dear! You didn't forget about our little-" Petunia stoped as she saw the little boy in my arms and I smiled nervously at her shocked look.

"Uh...sorry...I was kind of distracted." I reply to her honestly with a blush.

"Wha...who...huh?" Giggles asked just as surprised at seeing me with a little boy in my arms. Well this is going to be an intresting visit.

"...Flaky, you do realize you have quite a lot of explaining to do right now." Petunia says.

"He's ADORABLE!" Giggles doesn't seem to be interested in the 'why', at least not as much as Petunia...

Oh...And Harry's shy...Really, REALLY shy...

He is curently hiding in my chest trying to not be seen. I felt my cheeks burn at this but I couldn't help but feel a small bit of warmth in my chest at the adorableness he was giving off.

I held him close and whispered softly in his ear. "Hey. It's okay. They won't hurt you, they're super nice." I said so soothingly and softly that it shocked my two friends.

I know this because they told me later, why would I need to be told? Because all my focus was on the shaking baby in my arms. I wanted nothing more than to make his fear go away.

The girls try to make Harry feel at ease. They say their greetings, they give him a pat on the head, Petunia even gives him a little candy she had on her.

So he started to feel pretty at ease with my friends...That's good...

I think I should wait some time before I introduce him to Lifty and Shifty...

I relax back in my chair, him now sitting in my lap, playing with his plush toy. I smile down at him softly.

"So where did you find the little cutie?" Giggles asked with a grin.

I frowned softly catching Petunia's attention instantly. "Flaky...are you okay?" She asked concern entering her voice.

I sigh softly and feel most of my energy be drained just by thinking about it. I gaze down at him then at my friends with sad eyes. But before I could answers there is a knocking on my door.

"Oh! My healer!" I have to answer the door now...

"Wait, healer? Are you hurt? Who did it?! I'll give 'em a good smacking for ya!" Giggles always was protective of me...

"No, it's Harry...He's the one who's hurt."

"Um...Flaky, I think you might want to take a closer look at him." Petunia says.

"But...But he IS hurt! He's...Oh my...He's not hurt...?"

He looked perfectly fine. All those scratches, and cuts were gone from his pale skin and he looked to no longer be wincing in pain. I was shocked. He healed so quickly!

"H-hello? Miss Flaky? Are you there?" The voice of her healer spoke up causing me to jump and reach for the door opening it to show the pink haired woman who had become my healer.

The woman was gazing me a worried look, "Is everything alright? You sounded panicked on the phone." She asked showing deep concern.

"I...I'm so, SO sorry...It...It was a false alarm...Everything is fine..." I can tell my face is probably matching my hair colour.

"I see, another false alarm...Well, I'm very glad you're all right."

"Thank you for coming...I'm so sorry..."

"No trouble at all...Wait a moment..."

...Why is she looking at Harry like he's some kind of ghost?

"T-that boy..." she mutters with wide shocked eyes.

I tilted my head in confusion. "You know Harry?" I asked curiously not knowing that my two friends were now standing behind me.

The woman looked like she was about to faint. "H-Harry? A-as in Harry Potter?" She asked softly.

I tilted my head to the side and looked down at the little boy seeing him hiding in my hold again getting nervous around my healer. "Is that his full name?" I asked softly.

Harry moves in my arms to look at the woman. "Um...I...I am Harry Potter... Is that okay...?" Wow...He thinks he needs permission for his name to be Harry Potter... How badly was he picked on...?

"Oh my goodness...I...I have no idea what to say..."

"But how do you know him?" I can hear Giggles and Petunia coming up behind me, but I'm not really paying them much mind. I'm too invested in this.

The healer takes a deep breath trying to get her emotions under control. She is still tense and the shock has not left her eyes but I can see she is calm now.

"May I come in please?" She asked me.

I looked down at Harry seeing him staring at her curiously then up at me tilting his head adorably. I felt my heart melt at the cute display.

I looked back up at her with a calm smile on my face. "Of course." I said stepping back letting her in.

"Thank you very much." She steps into my house.

"Um...Would you like some tea?" I ask. I suck at making tea, but she's a guest, so it's only right to offer, right?

"No thank you." She replies back her lips twitching lightly. I blush remembering that she had drank a few of my teas before. The poor dear.

I sit down in my chair again the baby resting in my lap while my two friends stand on either side of me gazing down at the pink haired healer.

"So mind telling us what you know?" Giggles asked with a frown and crossed arms.

"Before that. Where did you find him?" The woman asked staring right at me making me squirm.

"He was in an alley...All alone and abandoned...He was freezing and he was injured when I brought him home...And he was crying for help, and..." Great, now I'm tearing up. Why do I have to be so sensitive?

"I see...I see..."

"But...I wasn't really alone. I had Spiky." Harry holds up his little plush friend. I can tell Petunia and Giggles recognize it from the way their eyes go wide.

I smiled softly at him absently running my fingers through his messy hair. It was so soft.

The woman gave him a tiny grin as well. "I-I see. I'm glad you had her." She said softly. "B-but why were you alone? Where was your family?" She asked.

Harry looked down sadly. "T-they didn't want me anymore..." he mumbles sounding more broken then ever before.

My healer looks upset by that...I really need to just stop calling her 'my healer', her name is Dawn...DAWN looks upset by that.

"So...Will you tell me how you know him...?" I ask. I know it's a bit insensitive, since she's upset and all, but I REALLY wanna know.

Dawn sighs and leans back placing a hand over her eyes. "Harry Potter is a well known name in the wizard world. You see, he's a hero."

She then goes onto explaing everything. From someone called a dark lord terrorizing magical England to the death of Harry's parents and then how he as a young baby killed the dark lord and saved them all.

It was a lot to take in for sure. I wasent sure if I believed it fully, but from how serious Dawn looked I k ew she was telling the truth.

I gazed down to see Harry looking shocked at what he heard. "M-mommy and d-daddy...didn't leave me...?" He asked in a little voice so full of hope it caused all of us to smile warmly down at him.

"No, little Harry." Dawn says. "Quite the opposite, in fact, they died to keep you safe. Please tell me, where have you been all these years and who told you those lies?"

"His aunt and uncle." I say this for him because I'm somewhat worried he'll cry if he ends up telling her himself.

"...I see... I wasn't aware he had other family...I will have to inform Albus of this..."

"Um...I'll take good care of him in the meantime..."

I didn't notice the shocked looks from my friends but I did see the grateful smile on her face. "That will be great!" She said.

I smiled at her then at the little boy in my arms holding him closer to myself. He looked up at me with a tiny smile of his own.

"I'll be back in a few days. Most likely with the Headmaster. There should be a few books on raising children! If I miss anything there's always the internet!" She said starting to ramble as she headed out the door.

I just smile nervously. I'm not sure parenting skills are something you just pick up from a book...

I slowly turn to look at my friends, who are tilting their heads at me. "So um...I'm gonna be taking care of him, looks like..."

"Are you sure about-"

"THATS AWSOME!" Giggles interrupted Petunia as she smiled wide at me.

I blushed slightly and noticed the annoyed look on Petunias face but smiled lightly at Giggles. "T-thanks."

"You took the cute little guy in from the cold and now you want to take care of him! Ah! Your going to be a great mommy!"

"Mommy!?" Both me and Petunia shouted at once.

Oh no, I scared Harry with my outburst! Just hold him close, rub his head, shush him...There we go, he's relaxed now...

Giggles looks confused. "Um...Yeah. Mommy. That's basically what you're gonna be, isn't it?"

...She's right. Oh my goodness she's right...I AM technically volunteering to be his mother...

"I mean...It might just be temporary..." It might...

"Aww, but he loves you!" Giggles says with a pout.

L-love!? He loves me!? As in...no not like that! L-like a son loves his mother! That's what!

I gaze down at him to see him staring up at me with those big green eyes and I felt my heart melt at that. To be honest with myself, I think I already loved him.

"Giggles be reasonable!" Petunia snapped looking annoyed. "Look, Flaky are you sure about this? Taking care of a child is a big...messy...dangerous job." She said shuddering at the word messy.

Giggles and I are both looking at her like she's out of her mind. She looks confused. "I said something off?"

"Tuny, what are you talking about?"

"Y-Yeah...I thought you've always wanted to have your own baby... Isn't that why you played with dolls for so long?"

She blushed red and looked away slightly holding her arm in nerves. "W-well yes...yes I would like to one day be a mother...b-but this is not about me!" She said with a glare.

I tilted my head to the side. "T-then what is it about?"

"I just...I..."

"Awwww, are you jealous Flaky's gonna be a mommy first?" Giggles' face is gonna fall apart if she keeps grinning that widely...

"Of course not. I'm just trying to make sure she's ready." Petunia's all haughty now...

I giggle a little bit causing my friends to look at me surprised. I blush and clear my throat. "Thank you for being concerned. But, this may be only temporarily anyway." I said softly with a small sigh.

That made him frown and sag a bit remembering that. I felt Harry pull my arm and I gazed down to see his hopeful look. "P-please don't give me away...please I'll be good! I-I'll try to be better!" He pleaded.

Awww...How could I dream of giving away this little bundle of joy...? I'm gonna hold him tighter...There.

"I'll see what I can do. And I WILL try my best to keep you, okay?" That seems to make him happy. I don't think I've ever seen anyone smile so widely before.

Aww...He's hugging me... "Thank you...I'll be the best boy ever."

I smiled down at him and held him tighter. "You already are." I whisper to him. I had no idea where it came from but it just came out. And I'm glad it did as I saw him relax more into my hold and start to drift off.

I gaze at my fiends remembering that they were still there and seeing the soft looks they were giving me I smiled softly at them. "Come on. Let's go look up those books she mentioned." I whispered to not bother him and started to walk to my study room.

We spent a long time looking over information. Finding intresting facts about baby's and how they are made-we were all red faced- to how to care for one. By the time we were done the sun was down and it was late at night.

The little one did not leave my arms once. I would not let him honestly. He felt so nice to snuggle and in a strange way I felt safe holding him. Like...I was at peace. It was strange but I enjoyed it and leaned back in my chair to gaze at my sleeping friends before feeling the tiredness affect me too as I let out a cute yawn.

"Oh well...I'll just rest my eyes for a moment." Was all I remember saying before the relaxing darkness took over.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't think I dreamed at all while I slept...I don't even remember falling asleep. And you can probably tell that just by what I did when I woke up.

I heard a little whimpering sound that woke me, and I immediately shot up and looked around wildly, babbling about how I'm not wanting to die today. So...It's honestly kind of just a normal morning for me, really...

It's then I notice that I'm not in my bed but in my chair in my study and that I have something in my arms. Wait, what? I looked down and saw a messy head of black hair and a little boy in my arms looking like he was nervous about something.

Looking into his green eyes jogged my memory and I remembered everything that happened yesterday. I sigh softly and smile lightly down at the little boy. "G-good morning Harry." I whisper softly.

"M-Morning..." He's flinching. Why is he flinching?

"What's wrong, Harry? You look scared...Did you have a bad dream...?"

"I-I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

"...But why...?"

"I...I didn't have any chores done before you woke up...I'm sorry...I couldn't get out...You were holding me too closely..."

"O-oh." I said slightly confused and thrown off. "W-why did you want to do chores Harry?" I asked him softly.

His emrald green eyes locked with my own eyes and I felt his confusion and nervousness. "I...I have to do the chores...or you won't like me a-and then you will get rid of me." He said softly.

Oh my...And I thought I worried over silly things... "But that's...That's not true at all..."

"It's not...?" He's looking at me with those eyes...I love those eyes, they're so cute...

"Of course. Only a monster would say they don't like a child in their care over not having chores done..."

"B-but uncle Vernon would...he would yell and hit..,and..."

He sounded so confused, so lost. I pulled him tighter and gently ran my hand up and down his back. "Shh." I whispered soothingly. "Your uncle was a monster." She said softly.

"B-but I'm the monster..." he whimpered in deep pain and sadness.

There's that heartbreaking feeling again...I really hate that feeling...

"No you're not. Not at all. You're just a little boy."

"But...But..."

"But what?"

"But my uncle..."

"Harry, your uncle is a bad man. You don't have to listen to bad men like that."

"B-but he was all I had." He whispered.

That feeling grew worse now. Hate this feeling so much!

I pull him closer to myself running my head through his messy hair. "Hey. You have me." I whisper to him softly and he looks up at me with wide surprised eyes and I couldn't help and grin a little at the look. He was so cute.

"Y-Yes...I do have you...Oh...And Spiky! I can't believe I almost forgot Spiky!" He hugs his little toy close and I can't help but smile. "I'm sorry, Spiky...I didn't mean to forget..."

"Spiky forgives you." I know this because she's basically me.

"Really?" He smiles at me, then hugs his toy tighter. "Thanks, Spiky..."

I giggle softly and just held him close. I slowly look around and see my two friends also asleep in the study. Petunia leaning against the wall sitting up and Giggles laying over the chair her butt right in the air.

I giggle again and smiled fondly at my two only friends and slowly get up wincing in pain from sleeping in a chair. I look down at the little sweatheart in my arms and grin. "Let's go make breakfast." I said softly walking out of the study and into the kitchen.

"Oh boy! Can I help?!" He sounds eager. Might as well humour him.

"Sure you can, Harry."

"Yay! Okay...Um...Do you put nuts in your pancakes...?"

"Oh no. I'm allergic to nuts." I don't swell up like a balloon like I used to, but it's still very irritating when my face gets all puffy.

"Oh okay. Uh...Chocolate chips?" He asked innocently.

I think about it for a moment then nodded with a small smile. "I think that will work. Bacon and eggs as well?" I asked softly looking over everything I had.

He nodded in my arms and I couldent help but giggkeca little at his adorable look of focuse. He was too cute for his own good.

So we got to cooking, and all I have to say is wow. I have quite the little chef here, don't I?

He knows all there is to about cooking. Even more than I ever did, and I was the one who made most of the food for Flippy's surprise birthday party! ...Okay, so he flipped and killed everyone before they really got the chance to taste it, but still...

Thinking back, maybe surprising someone named Flippy might have not been a good idea. Then again they didn't know any better at the time.

Soon the meal was done and it smelled amazing. It got the attention of my two friends who walked in looking drowsy but smiling at the heavenly smell. I agree fully!

They sat down and started to eat and I made sure to give him a plate before making my own and siting down next to him and took a bite.

I almost died. Died of pure bliss.

Giggles is actually crying, and Petunia looks surprised. "Goodness, Flaky, you've really outdone yourself...These are delicious." Petunia said with a smile.

"Oh, um...Well, I did have a little help..." I point to Harry, who looks at everyone in anticipation.

"Um...Is my cooking bad...? It made Miss Giggles sad..."

"Absolutely not!" Giggles shouts with a wide smile making him jump and look at her confused. I giggled at him and messed with his hair. My smile grew as I fealt him relax.

"It's the best breakfast we have ever had." Petunia said with an honest smile.

Aww he was as red as a tomato and he was looking away timidly a small shy adorable smile on his face.

"I...I didn't do much...Just...made some ideas..."

"Well they were perfect ideas!" Giggles says with a grin.

His blush deepens and I find myself giggling. He was so precious. I ruffled his hair gently making him grin up at me shyly and I smiled back. "Eat up sweetheart. So you can grow big and strong, and healthy."

Harry blinked and tilted his head slightly. "B-big and strong? Me?" He asked in an awed tone.

"Yes. You can grow big and strong, but only if you eat well." He looks like he just found out Santa Claus is his uncle...

"Wow...But...Are you sure it's okay...?"

"Well of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I'm not usually allowed to eat."

My eyes grew wide at this as I felt my heart break and my air leave my mouth in a silent gasp. I was to distracted to notice that Giggles and Petunia had stopped eating as well staring at the little one with looks of horror.

"W-what do you mean, not allowed to eat?" I asked tentatively.

He looked down with a sad frown. "I...I used to have a weekly fill of bread..." he explained.

That's just...pure evil...How has he survived this long on just bread?! No wonder he's so skinny...I'm gonna hug him now...There, that's a little better...

"That's...all wrong, Harry. ALL wrong." That's all I can really say about the situation...

"That's horrible! How can they do that to a child?!" Petunia shouts enraged by what she has heard while Giggles is just shocked into silence.

I feel him nuzzle into me so I place him in my lap and he him close. I close my eyes and softly run my fingers through his hair.

The more I find out about how these people abused him, the more I just wanna turn back into a porcupine and stick my quills into them!

Oh...Um...Is that too violent? Um...I guess giving them a stern talking to also works...

I pat his head gently. "You eat three times a day Harry, with some snack time here and there." I said softly.

He looks up at me confused and I grin softly down at him. "Eating three times a day is healthy and necessary to survive. The snack times are when we need a little pick me up." I explained. I loved snacks, so much so.

Not as much as Giggles, but...NOBODY loves snacks as much as Giggles. I can't remember how many times I caught her subconsciously digging through my cupboards and spent an hour listening to Petunia scolding her...

I smile at the memory and shake my head to face down at him and lift a fork with some pancake still on it. I lifted it to him and said, "Open wide."

He does so obediently and I place the food in his mouth and he chews it and sighed in bliss making me smile. I like feeding him for some reason. Don't judge me!

He already kind of looks like a baby. No, I shouldn't say that, he's a big boy. ...A very, very small big boy, but still a big boy either way.

He takes another bite and hums in content, giving me a wide smile. Oh my gosh! He's such a widdle thing! I just want to gobble him up.

I giggle lightly and rubbed his cheek before picking him up and holding him close sighing in content. He was fed and that was what mattered most. Besides I wanted to hug him again.

Petunia looks equally jealous and happy, and Giggles just won't stop smiling. "Awww, maybe Tuny and I should leave you two alone for a bit." Giggles cooed.

"Yes, you two should spend time with just each other." Petunia agreed.

I smile at the two of them and nod, slightly timid. "T-thanks. I-I think we'll be okay." I was hopeful, and that's something I don't normal have anymore.

I gazed down at the little boy in my hold and held him closer to myself. Hope. I like the sound of that. I stood up slowly and walked around the table to my friends who also stood up. "Thanks for helping guys."

"Oh, we didn't do much of anything, really." Petunia says.

"N-No, you being here is all the help I needed..."

"Anytime." Giggles said with a warm smile to me. "Us Tree friends have to stick together right?" She asked with a sad smile.

I smile sadly back remembering that we are the last of our group of friends. I nod slowly at her and watch as they leave. Well...that brought down the happy mood.

I'm holding Harry a bit tighter than I mean to now...I loosen my grip, and really, all I can do at this point is sigh.

"Um...M-Miss Flaky...Um...What's a...a tree friend...?"

Not something you need to know of at your age little guy. "Just a little nickname of ours Harry. That's all." I said softly walking into my living room and siting down on the chair.

He tilted his head slightly with a small frown. "B-but you got sad when she said that. Is it a bad name?" He asked innocently.

Oooh, he's asking all the questions I don't feel up to answering...

"Well, no...But...It's complicated...It can...It can wait until you're older."

"...Are...Are the tree friend people dead...?"

I stare at him with wide eyes. "How do you-" I started but he answered quickly.

"It's the same look that I see on a bunch of people. A-and I see it on my face a lot too." He said in a very quiet tone.

Oh this poor baby, I hugged him closer to myself and just rested my head on his and took a deep breath. God why? Why do this to someone so young, so innocent?

"I-It's the face I make when I...When I..."

"When you what, sweetie?"

"Wh-When I really miss my mommy...I didn't know her too good...But...I still wish she was there...Because if she was...Maybe I'd be happier and not..." Tears. There's tears in his eyes...

"Oh sweetie." I whisper softly.

He sniffs slightly. "Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia always said that...that my mommy hated me. Th-that she gave me up for monney...but I don't think that was true." He mumbled softly.

"I KNOW that's not true...No one would do that..." I know that's not entirely true...But I still need to reassure him.

"B-But...What if it IS true...?"

"It's not. It can't be..."

He still looked unconvinced, but there was a small bit of hope in his eyes that made me think he was starting to believe. "Your mommy...whoever she may be...loved you and do you know why?" She asked him.

"W-why?" He asked innocently.

I gently cup his little cheek and smile warmly as he leans into it. "Because, you are an adorable angel who would have warmed her heart. I love holding you already, I cant imagine how she must have felt. She probably would have never let you down." I giggled lightly at the image.

He smiles, and his face is almost as red as my hair. "Th-Thank you...You're so nice..."

"Thank you, sweetie...I try." Now I'm blushing...

He nuzzles into me and I hold him close. So much has happened so far. From my days as an animal dying every day to now being human again with a crippling fear of death. It has been a long few days but they are days I will remember fondly.

For if anything had done from me surviving that...place. It was so I can hold this little boy closer, nuzzle his hair and just breath.

This child, a child abused by his own family, I want to help him. I want to get him better, as he is slowly making me better. I kissed him on the top of his head and gazed out of the window. 'Whoever you are, I'll take care of him. You have my word.' I thought feeling an enjoyable warmth pass through me and for a moment I could have sworn I saw a red headed woman with a wide tearful smile, her eyes the same as the little angel in my arms.

But it was gone just as quick as it came. I shook my head with a small grin. 'Looks like...I have something to live for now.'


End file.
